Cannot update correctly

From the looks of things you have mixed repositories in your sources.lst file.
Open update manager, click on settings, click on other software, remove any non maverick entries.
Try removing all the non-maverick entries in your repository and then rerunning
'sudo apt-get upgrade -f'

HTH's.

After I removed the non-maverick entries I got a message saying:

You have 2 broken packages on your system!

Use the "Broken" filter to locate them.

I found them and they are:

lib6 and lib6-dev

Still, I proceeded to run the command 'sudo apt-get upgrade -f' and got the same error message:

pablo@pablo-CG1330:~$ sudo apt-get upgrade -f
[sudo] password for pablo:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Correcting dependencies... Done
The following packages will be upgraded:
  apport apport-gtk brasero brasero-cdrkit brasero-common bsdutils dbus
  dbus-x11 fuse-utils libblkid1 libbrasero-media1 libc6 libdbus-1-3 libfuse2
  liblcms1 libparted0debian1 libsmbclient libuuid1 libwbclient0 libx264-98
  mount parted python-apport python-problem-report samba-common
  samba-common-bin smbclient sudo util-linux uuid-runtime
30 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
5 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 25.0MB/29.8MB of archives.
After this operation, 668kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
Get:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates/main libdbus-1-3 i386 1.4.0-0ubuntu1.1 [130kB]
Get:2 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates/main mount i386 2.17.2-0ubuntu1.10.10.1 [174kB]
Get:3 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates/main util-linux i386 2.17.2-0ubuntu1.10.10.1 [527kB]
Get:4 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates/main bsdutils i386 1:2.17.2-0ubuntu1.10.10.1 [80.2kB]
Get:5 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates/main libuuid1 i386 2.17.2-0ubuntu1.10.10.1 [61.6kB]
Get:6 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates/main libblkid1 i386 2.17.2-0ubuntu1.10.10.1 [110kB]
Get:7 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates/main libparted0debian1 i386 2.3-2ubuntu2 [229kB]
Get:8 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates/main parted i386 2.3-2ubuntu2 [74.1kB]
Get:9 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates/main brasero-common all 2.32.0-0ubuntu2.1 [357kB]
Get:10 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates/main brasero-cdrkit i386 2.32.0-0ubuntu2.1 [35.4kB]
Get:11 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates/main brasero i386 2.32.0-0ubuntu2.1 [179kB]
Get:12 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates/main libbrasero-media1 i386 2.32.0-0ubuntu2.1 [431kB]
Get:13 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates/main dbus-x11 i386 1.4.0-0ubuntu1.1 [37.8kB]
Get:14 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates/main dbus i386 1.4.0-0ubuntu1.1 [196kB]
Get:15 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates/main fuse-utils i386 2.8.4-1ubuntu1.1 [21.8kB]
Get:16 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates/main libfuse2 i386 2.8.4-1ubuntu1.1 [141kB]
Get:17 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates/main libwbclient0 i386 2:3.5.4~dfsg-1ubuntu8.2 [127kB]
Get:18 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates/main smbclient i386 2:3.5.4~dfsg-1ubuntu8.2 [13.6MB]
Get:19 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates/main samba-common all 2:3.5.4~dfsg-1ubuntu8.2 [395kB]
Get:20 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates/main samba-common-bin i386 2:3.5.4~dfsg-1ubuntu8.2 [5,753kB]
Get:21 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates/main sudo i386 1.7.2p7-1ubuntu2.1 [315kB]
Get:22 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates/main uuid-runtime i386 2.17.2-0ubuntu1.10.10.1 [63.6kB]
Get:23 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates/main libsmbclient i386 2:3.5.4~dfsg-1ubuntu8.2 [1,978kB]
Fetched 25.0MB in 3min 3s (136kB/s)
debconf: DbDriver "config": could not open /var/cache/debconf/config.dat
(Reading database ... 161356 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace libc6 2.12.1-0ubuntu10 (using .../libc6_2.12.1-0ubuntu10.1_i386.deb) ...
debconf: DbDriver "config": could not open /var/cache/debconf/config.dat
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libc6_2.12.1-0ubuntu10.1_i386.deb (--unpack):
 subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/libc6_2.12.1-0ubuntu10.1_i386.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
pablo@pablo-CG1330:~$ sudo apt-get upgrade -f
[sudo] password for pablo:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Correcting dependencies... Done
The following packages will be upgraded:
  apport apport-gtk brasero brasero-cdrkit brasero-common bsdutils dbus
  dbus-x11 fuse-utils libblkid1 libbrasero-media1 libc6 libdbus-1-3 libfuse2
  liblcms1 libparted0debian1 libsmbclient libuuid1 libwbclient0 libx264-98
  mount parted python-apport python-problem-report samba-common
  samba-common-bin smbclient sudo util-linux uuid-runtime
30 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
5 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0B/29.8MB of archives.
After this operation, 668kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
debconf: DbDriver "config": could not open /var/cache/debconf/config.dat
(Reading database ... 161356 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace libc6 2.12.1-0ubuntu10 (using .../libc6_2.12.1-0ubuntu10.1_i386.deb) ...
debconf: DbDriver "config": could not open /var/cache/debconf/config.dat
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libc6_2.12.1-0ubuntu10.1_i386.deb (--unpack):
 subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/libc6_2.12.1-0ubuntu10.1_i386.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
pablo@pablo-CG1330:~$

Thank you

It seems there is an issue with /var/cache/debconf

Can you check to ensure it exists? also make sure it is owned by root.

$ cd /var/cache/debconf
$ ls -la (owner and group should be root), if not
$sudo chown -R root root /var/cache/debconf

If it doesn't exist

$ sudo mkdir /var/cache/debconf
$ sudo chown -R root root /var/cache/debconf

Then try 'sudo apt-get upgrade -f' again.

Good luck,

/var/cache/debconf
did not exist, I created it then proceeded to try the command sudo chown -R root root /var/cache/debconf
this failed

pablo@pablo-CG1330:~$ sudo chown -R root root /var/cache/debconf
chown: cannot access `root': No such file or directory

Then I proceeded to package manager who stated that the package system is broken

sudo apt-get upgrade -f only returns error messages which say they failed to fetch the page

perhaps this is all hopeless and I should restore from my back up and if that fails try yet another fresh installation? :/

Oops my bad I typo'd that command which is why it failed. Sorry about that.

$sudo chown -R root:root: /var/cache/debconf

Ok, third times the charm. Forget the one I just posted above

$ sudo chown -R root:root /var/cache/debconf

pablo@pablo-CG1330:~$ $sudo chown -R root:root: /var/cache/debconf
chown: invalid group: `root:root:'
pablo@pablo-CG1330:~$ $ sudo chown -R root:root /var/cache/debconf
$: command not found

it appears both commands are wrong?

Thank you very much, this appears to have fixed the problem, mostly....

I updated a lot of things but I still get an error at the end not allowing me to finish installing everything.

Here it is:

pablo@pablo-CG1330:~$ sudo apt-get install -f
[sudo] password for pablo:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
5 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0B of additional disk space will be used.
Setting up linux-image-2.6.35-25-generic-pae (2.6.35-25.44) ...
Running depmod.
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-25-generic-pae
Examining /etc/kernel/postinst.d.
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/dkms 2.6.35-25-generic-pae /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-25-generic-pae
 * dkms: running auto installation service for kernel 2.6.35-25-generic-pae
 * fglrx (8.780)... [ OK ]
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools 2.6.35-25-generic-pae /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-25-generic-pae
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/nvidia-common 2.6.35-25-generic-pae /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-25-generic-pae
run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/nvidia-common exited with return code 10
Failed to process /etc/kernel/postinst.d at /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image-2.6.35-25-generic-pae.postinst line 1010.
dpkg: error processing linux-image-2.6.35-25-generic-pae (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-image-generic-pae:
 linux-image-generic-pae depends on linux-image-2.6.35-25-generic-pae; however:
  Package linux-image-2.6.35-25-generic-pae is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing linux-image-generic-pae (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-generic-pae:
 linux-generic-pae depends on linux-image-generic-pae (= 2.6.35.25.32); however:
  Package linux-image-generic-pae is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing linux-generic-pae (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Setting up linux-headers-2.6.35-25-generic-pae (2.6.35-25.44) ...
No apport report written because MaxReports is reached already
                                                              No apport report written because MaxReports is reached already
                                            Examining /etc/kernel/header_postinst.d.
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/header_postinst.d/dkms 2.6.35-25-generic-pae /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-25-generic-pae
 * dkms: running auto installation service for kernel 2.6.35-25-generic-pae
 * fglrx (8.780)... [ OK ]
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/header_postinst.d/nvidia-common 2.6.35-25-generic-pae /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-25-generic-pae
run-parts: /etc/kernel/header_postinst.d/nvidia-common exited with return code 10
Failed to process /etc/kernel/header_postinst.d at /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-headers-2.6.35-25-generic-pae.postinst line 110.
dpkg: error processing linux-headers-2.6.35-25-generic-pae (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
No apport report written because MaxReports is reached already
                                                              dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-headers-generic-pae:
 linux-headers-generic-pae depends on linux-headers-2.6.35-25-generic-pae; however:
  Package linux-headers-2.6.35-25-generic-pae is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing linux-headers-generic-pae (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
No apport report written because MaxReports is reached already
                                                              Errors were encountered while processing:
 linux-image-2.6.35-25-generic-pae
 linux-image-generic-pae
 linux-generic-pae
 linux-headers-2.6.35-25-generic-pae
 linux-headers-generic-pae
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

Same problem had before and thought I had solved :/

Anywyas, thanks in advance.

The error message is a bit different. so we see to be already one step further.

To check if it is still a problem with file access protection, can you please provide the output of the following command:

ls -laR /var/cache/debconf

here is the information you requested:

pablo@pablo-CG1330:~$ ls -laR /var/cache/debconf
/var/cache/debconf:
total 488
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 2011-02-03 21:29 .
drwxr-xr-x 20 root root 4096 2011-01-30 01:38 ..
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1457 2011-02-03 21:29 config.dat
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1457 2011-02-03 21:27 config.dat-old
-rw------- 1 root root 0 2011-02-02 19:32 passwords.dat
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 240875 2011-02-03 21:29 templates.dat
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 240875 2011-02-03 21:28 templates.dat-old

File access rights are ok (at least are same as mine)

It seems now you are running against bug 601407

The workaround shown there is to issue the command

sudo aptitude reinstall nvidia-common

Please try.

pablo@pablo-CG1330:~$ sudo aptitude reinstall nvidia-common
sudo: aptitude: command not found

The command

sudo apt-get install --reinstall nvidia-common

should do the same.

pablo@pablo-CG1330:~$ sudo apt-get install -f
[sudo] password for pablo:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

Thank you so much, problem finally fixed.

Thanks Manfred Hampl, that solved my question.